Party Plan: Weeknight Wins with National Family Meal Month

Fall comes and you’re back at it – school, a schedule and busy nights! Dinner needs to fit in somewhere, and we’ve got a great selection of recipes for your whole family to try together. Whether you’re looking for new inspiration, time-saving meals or just a way to mix things up, check out these sure ways to win on weeknights.

Southwestern Chili

Southwestern Chili

Chili…rarely do you find such a comforting, filling meal that’s not only really good for you (depending, of course, on how you make it and the toppings you choose), but so versatile in terms of how different it can taste based on the recipe you choose. This one is delicious!

In large skillet over medium high heat, brown ground beef and chorizo with chopped onion until meat is slightly browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic, stir, and cook for a couple more minutes. Add mixture to large slow cooker.

Empty beer into pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to release anything that stuck to the pan. Pour that into the slow cooker.

5-Cheese Pizza with Arugula Salad

5-Cheese Pizza with Arugula Salad

A pizza dinner is a great way to get kids involved, especially during National Family Meal Month. From shredding the cheese to dressing the simple salad, your kids can take control of putting this meal together. It’s cheesy and flavorful, and the peppery Arugula salad becomes the perfect topping and side dish in one!

Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Taking care of the hot pan, give children half of the garlic and have them rub the cut side on the still warm dough. (This will leave some flavor without leaving big chunks of garlic that kids might not enjoy.)

If you bought the Italian blend cheese, have your kids sprinkle it over the dough. If you bought individual packages of cheese, have your kids grate them and mix them together in a bowl, then put on top of the dough.

Asian Inspired Beef Noodle Bowl

Asian Inspired Beef Noodle Bowl

Looking for an Asian inspired dinner that’s not only easy but healthy too? This simple beef noodle bowl provides a well-balanced meal quickly…the perfect dish to prepare for National Family Meal Month.

Ingredients:

8 oz. linguine, uncooked

3 cups broccoli florets

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

¼ cup Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp. ginger

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to the cooking water for the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking time. Drain pasta mixture.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add meat, cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, teriyaki sauce and ginger; cook until sauce thickens, string occasionally.

Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Pizza

Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Pizza

This breakfast pizza combines two favorite breakfast foods – scrambled eggs and bacon – with pizza crust and cheese. The result is absolutely delicious and the perfect way to get everyone around the table for National Family Meal Month.

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust dough (homemade or store bought)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

6 Simple Truth Organic™ Eggs

¼ cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Directions:

Flatten pizza dough on pizza pan or pizza stone by rolling, stretching or spreading the dough gently with your hands until it fills the baking pan. Let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F.

Sausage Breakfast Taquitos

Sausage Breakfast Taquitos

September is National Family Meal Month, so get in the kitchen with your family and make these easy sausage, egg and cheese breakfast taquitos!

Ingredients:

12 whole large eggs

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

24 breakfast sausage links, cooked according to package directions

12 small flour tortillas (soft sheet or fajita size)

Non-stick spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Beat eggs together, and pour into a large skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook until scrambled. Stir in can of green chilies. Season with salt and pepper.

To form the taquitos, put about 1 egg’s worth down the center of the flour tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese, and 2 sausage links. Roll tightly, and place seam side down, on a baking sheet. Continue until you have 12 taquitos.

Spray the taquitos well with non-stick spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Depending on the oven, you might want to use the boiler for a few minutes.

Chana Saag

Chana Saag

In celebration of National Family Meal Month, this classic vegetarian Indian dish can be made easily in 30 minutes or less. Plus, when you have help from family members in the kitchen, the cooking process is a breeze.

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high in a medium-sized non-stick skillet. Add the onion and chopped yam and cook, stirring frequently, until potato is cooked through but still al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

While the potato and onion is cooking, combine the coconut milk, curry powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, sea salt and turmeric in a small blender. Blend until completely smooth and set aside.

Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet with the potato and onion and cook another 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes and cook until any excess water has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk mixture and chickpeas to the skillet and heat to a full boil. Reduce the heat slightly and add the spinach. Cover and cook until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.

Serve Chana Saag with cooked white rice.

Tips

I enjoy eating Chana Saag with white basmati rice, but you can have multiple grain options handy, such as brown rice and quinoa when you sit down to dinner with your family.

You can make this dish with or without potato. Leaving the potato out will shorten the cook time by about 10 minutes. While I used jewel yam (white sweet potato) for the recipe, you can use a Yukon gold or a russet potato. For those family members that eat meat, grilled chicken can easily be added to the Chana Saag.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip S’mores Cookiewiches

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip S’mores Cookiewiches

A sweet marshmallow crème buttercream is stuffed between two soft and thick chocolate cake mix cookies studded with peanut butter chips in these Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip S’mores Cookiewiches - a delicious way to enjoy s’mores with your family any time of the year!

Ingredients:

1 box (16.5 oz.) Kroger Devil’s Food Cake Mix

2 eggs

⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil

½ cup peanut butter chips

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

⅔ cup Kroger Marshmallow Creme

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups Kroger Confectioners 10-X Powdered Sugar

1-2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Mix well. Fold in the peanut butter chips. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Roll the dough into generous 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 1” apart, slightly flattening the cookie balls with the palm of your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the marshmallow crème buttercream. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and marshmallow crème with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, and then gradually add in the powdered sugar. Continue beating until fully incorporated. If the buttercream is too thick to pipe, feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until it is the right consistency.

Once the cookies have cooled, place the buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a tip with a wide opening. Pipe the frosting into the middle of one of the cooled cookies topside down. Place another cookie over top of the frosting and press down gently. Repeat this for the remaining 9 cookie pairs.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Classic Club Wraps – a Kid-Friendly Twist on Sandwiches

Classic Club Wraps – a Kid-Friendly Twist on Sandwiches

Sandwiches for dinner can be a fun twist for mealtime during National Family Meal Month. Change things up a bit with these kid-friendly classic club wraps. They’re easy to make, fun to eat, and can be made with an endless variety of ingredients.

Ingredients:

Flour tortilla

Sliced deli turkey

Bacon, cooked (not crispy)

Tomato, sliced thin

Avocado, sliced thin

Lettuce

Ranch dressing

Directions:

Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Add deli turkey, bacon (not crispy), sliced tomato, avocado and lettuce. Drizzle a small amount of Ranch dressing on top.

Brush the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides of the corn tortilla.

Heat the tortillas on a hot skillet until they soften up making sure they don't get too crispy.

Spoon 1/6 of the filling into the center of the tortilla. Roll tortilla over the filling and position it seam-side down on a plate. Repeat with the other 5 tortillas placing them on two different plates.

Spoon the salsa down the length of each enchilada and sprinkle cheese on top.

DIY Pasta Bar

DIY Pasta Bar

While my siblings and I all have very different personalities and hobbies, we always agreed on what we loved to eat for dinner: pasta. When celebrating National Family Meal Month, a DIY pasta bar is the perfect way to get the whole family together for an easy evening of delicious eats and great company.

Noodles
While some folks have no preference when it comes to noodles, there are certain individuals in my family that are crazy about certain shapes, and not so into others. For this reason, we always cook up at least two pasta shapes, and/or spaghetti or angel hair pasta. Because there are a couple people in my family who are sensitive to gluten, I always make at least one type of gluten-free pasta.

Sauces
When it comes to sauces, my family loves them all. My brothers and I love meaty red sauces, while the kids in the family enjoy plain marinara sauce without meat or pesto sauce, and my sister loves alfredo sauce. Because everyone enjoys massive quantities of sauce, but opinions vary on which ones are the tastiest, I always offer at least two options: typically, basil pesto sauce and turkey Bolognese using store-bought marinara sauce and ground turkey. We always pick up an extra jar of marinara sauce so that those who want meatless sauce can simply drizzle the sauce on their noodles.

Meats
In my carnivorous family, having multiple meat options at a DIY Pasta Bar is just as important as having multiple sauce options. Grilled chicken and turkey Bolognese are always family favorites. Both are so simple to prepare. For grilled chicken, simply marinate boneless chicken breasts in olive oil, herbs and vinegar for at least an hour (up to 12 hours), then grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Chop the chicken into cubes, or cut into slices and place the chicken on a serving plate. To prepare turkey Bolognese sauce, pick up your favorite jar of red sauce from the grocery store, brown up some ground turkey meat, then add the sauce and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes (or longer for more flavor). Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl, and you’re ready to go! Other meat options would be baked salmon, grilled pork or sautéed shrimp.

Vegetables
In order to lend some freshness to a pasta dinner, I recommend steaming, roasting or sautéing seasonal vegetables so that those who are craving greens can easily add them to their bowl of pasta. Broccoli is always a winner in my family, and you can also sauté kale, spinach or chard, and/or grill or roast zucchini or even winter squash.

Cheeses
Topping pasta with freshly grated cheese is a brilliant way of making the meal extra comforting, and infusing it with additional flavor. At a minimum, I always recommend having a hunk of fresh Parmesan that can easily be grated over every plate or bowl of pasta. I also like having a bowl of ricotta cheese on hand, and even cheddar cheese for the kids who enjoy plain noodles with cheese. It’s hard to go wrong with multiple options!

And that’s it! Simply arrange all of your pasta bar ingredients on a table in bowls with serving spoons, and set out plates and bowls so that everyone can serve themselves buffet-style. Once the evening is over, each person is almost guaranteed to have sampled and mixed and matched various types of pastas with sauces, meats, cheeses and veggies. And of course, everyone goes to bed satisfied!

Family Kitchen Clean-up – Tips for Cleaning as a Family

Family Kitchen Clean-up – Tips for Cleaning as a Family

While the best part about celebrating National Family Meal Month is enjoying a feast of a dinner, there’s always the post-meal tidying that’s bound to take place. Rather than leaving all of the dishes to one person, the mantra, “many hands make light work,” rings true when it comes to the post-feast cleanup. Each person can be assigned a job once family mealtime is over, and in this way the task of cleaning the kitchen can be a fun bonding experience, rather than daunting for the host.

Everyone has a role after the meal is finished, which helps the evening carry on rather than everyone going their separate ways. During the tidying process, the conversation continues and everyone works as a team to make sure all of the tasks don’t fall onto one person.

I find doing one big round of cleaning before dessert helps give everyone a break to digest, and also allows everyone to relax to enjoy the sweet treats, coffee, and/or after-dinner drinks without having a messy dining and kitchen area. This way, your company has a clean slate for another round of eating, and all it takes is putting the dessert dishes in the dishwasher when the evening is over.

Starting with bringing dirty dishes to the sink, each person can be given one task. One person can collect dirty dishware, while a couple of people can tidy up the dining space, and everyone else can be given kitchen-specific cleaning tasks. Even getting small children to participate with simple tasks like putting sauces or condiments back in the refrigerator can save time and get everyone involved. Young children or teens can be in charge of transporting dirty dishes and packaging up leftovers, while those who are seasoned kitchen cleaners can handle the cleaning supplies.

Having cleaning resources and multiple sponges, washcloths and rolls of paper towels is helpful when multiple people are in the kitchen cleaning up. In this way, one person can rinse and put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, another person can wash pots and pans, while one person wipes down the table, another person wipes down the countertops, and another person sweeps or mops.

For those of you who like to keep your household as sustainable and natural as possible, you can easily prepare homemade cleaning solutions using a combination of water and white vinegar, or even kombucha! The water and vinegar solution cleans and fights bacteria by inoculating it, whereas the probiotics in kombucha fight bacteria and also temporarily create an environment where harmful bacteria cannot grow.

The fun doesn’t have to stop when it’s cleanup time. You can put on some music, or even make a game out of it for those families that have a competitive edge. No matter who does what during the cleanup process, everyone lends a helping hand, which helps create family unity to ensure the evening is a memorable, bonding experience.

Family Pasta Bake Three Ways

Family Pasta Bake Three Ways

Whip up a flavorful and cheesy pasta dish that every member of the family can agree on and love, with this impressive and easy-to-make Family Pasta Bake Three Ways. Layers of rigatoni smothered in marinara sauce are sandwiched between chicken Alfredo and a creamy basil cheese layer in this family-pleasing pasta bake.

Set out 3 medium mixing bowls. In one bowl, toss together 2 cups of the marinara sauce with ⅔ of the cooked rigatoni. In a second bowl, combine the cooked chicken with the Alfredo sauce. In a third bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, basil pesto and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

Now you’re ready to layer your pasta bake in the prepared baking pan, in this order: Evenly spread half of the marinara/rigatoni mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Then spread all of the chicken/Alfredo mixture over top. Top with ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella. Spread in the remaining half of the marinara/rigatoni mixture. Top with the pesto/cheese mixture. Finish it off with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and then ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella.

Baked, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad and fresh-baked Italian bread, if desired. Enjoy!

Garlic Bruschetta

Garlic Bruschetta

Go meatless tonight with a dinner full of fresh, bright flavors! Your family will savor every moment together over delicious bruschetta and a satisfying pasta meal made with crisp red peppers, herbs, and creamy alfredo.

Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

With fall quickly approaching, everyone is looking for great recipes that can be used both as a quick weeknight meal and as something they can bring as a football party appetizer. Meatballs are perfect because they work for both.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Harris Teeter Rancher ground beef

½ cup Harris Teeter shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup Harris Teeter bread crumbs - plain

2 tsp. Harris Teeter garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Mix the ingredients until they are incorporated together, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

Roll a teaspoon-sized amount of the mixture into small balls.

Place the meatballs on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully flip the meatballs using a large spoon.

Bake the meatballs for an additional 10 minutes or until meat is baked through.

One-Pot Beef Stroganoff

One-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Busy weeknights call for quick and easy dinners. This one-pot beef stroganoff is a quick and easy version of the classic, so you can have it on your busiest night. Plus it’s more budget friendly than the original because you use ground beef to make it come together.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 package (8 oz.) baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 lb. ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flour

4 cups beef stock

1 package (12 oz.) egg noodles

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes, until light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

Add onions and ground beef to skillet, cook for 5 minutes or until beef is cooked and onions are soft, breaking apart. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add flour, and stir until beef is well coated.

Pour in beef stock, egg noodles and mushrooms. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the noodles are cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly, remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Personalized Placemats That Double as Placecards

Personalized Placemats That Double as Placecards

There are easy ways to spruce up your decor besides complicated flower arrangements, even fun projects you can let the kids take over. And this placemat project is a great way to get your whole family in the kitchen working together on something, fitting for National Family Meal Month.

Things You'll Need:

11”x14” poster board

Water color paint

Directions:

Purchase a package of 11”x14” poster board and a set of watercolor paint.

Once you have your guest list ready to go and seating chart set, add your guests’ names in watercolor to the bottom of the poster boards.

Add additional touches with the watercolor paint, or keep it as minimal as you’d like (this is where you can let the kids get creative!).

Set your table with these pops of color under a palette of simple white dishes. Add a bit of candlelight and you’re set!

In a shallow dish, toss chicken with olive oil, lime juice and garlic cloves. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Once the chicken has marinated, transfer to a small baking sheet. Scatter poblano peppers and sliced onions around chicken, toss together and then lay chicken and veggies flat. Bake until chicken is cooked through and veggies are softened, about 15-18 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and shred with two forks.

Place 1/3 of the chips on the bottom of the same pan you cooked the chicken and peppers on. Sprinkle with a 1/3 each of the chicken, veggies, black beans, chiles and corn. Cover in shredded cheese. Repeat process two more times.

Pop nachos in the oven until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Once the nachos come out, sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, squeeze with lime juice and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Repurposed Tin Can Vase Centerpiece

Repurposed Tin Can Vase Centerpiece

Whether you’re preparing for a get-together with friends or simply setting the table for a weeknight family dinner during National Family Meal Month, a colorful centerpiece – especially a repurposed vase made by the kids – will set an inviting atmosphere.

What You'll Need:

Empty tin cans, washed and labels removed

Washi tape

Flowers

Directions:

Parents: Before letting kids handle cans, make sure there are no sharp edges on your can from where the lid was removed. Troublesome spots can be covered with washi tape before giving to kids.

Thoroughly wash out cans and soak in water for 5 minutes to remove label easily. Dry.

Cover the cans with washi tape, leaving at least ½” or more to fold over the top and bottom of the can. Create patterns with multiple coordinating tape colors, alternate colors, or create different types of designs. Let the kids get creative! The only rule is that the outside of the can gets covered completely in washi tape.

Attach a piece of washi tape to the top inside of the can, which helps cover up any folded-over ends of tape to give the vase a more finished look.

Fill your vase about 3/4 full of water and add any wild flowers, garden flowers or store-purchased flowers to finish your centerpiece.

In a separate bowl, mix the milk and melted butter. Combine with the dry ingredients but do not over mix.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter, doing your best not to deflate them. Let batter rest 5 minutes before using. Preheat your waffle iron to medium according to the instructions.

Pour enough batter into the center of the lower grid so that it covers about half the surface area. Allow the batter to spread toward edges for 5 seconds, then close the lid of the waffle iron. Cook until the green indicator light turns on again. Remove the waffle and repeat with the remaining batter. For best results, serve immediately. You may keep waffles warm until ready to serve in a 200°F oven.

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Soup

This delicious soup is perfect for sitting down and enjoying each other, especially during National Family Meal Month. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3-4 Tbsp. minced garlic

¼ cup butter

3 tsp. chicken bouillon

1 cup water

½ cup flour

8 oz. bow-tie pasta

4 cups milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker.

In a medium skillet, sauté minced garlic in the butter for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Spread bouillon and garlic over the chicken. Add the 1 cup of water, cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.

Once chicken is cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle flour over the chicken and stir well.

Cook bow-tie pasta according to package directions and drain. Add the pasta, milk, whipping cream and cheeses to the chicken and stir until combined.

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna Rolls

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna Rolls

These spinach and artichoke lasagna rolls combine two popular comfort foods – spinach and artichoke dip and lasagna – in one quick and easy dish. It’s a simple dinner you can make in under an hour that is sure to be a new family favorite!

Ingredients:

1 cup parmesan cheese

12 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 can artichoke hearts

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 tsp. unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. ground thyme

¾ cup vegetable broth

½ cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

12 lasagna Noodles, cooked

Directions for the lasagna rolls:

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package.

While lasagna noodles are cooking, make your sauce and filling (recipes below).

Once noodles are cooked, lay each individual noodle out flat on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.

Place ½ tablespoon of filling on one side of each lasagna noodle and spread out across the lasagna noodle using a butter knife or flat spatula.

Start at one side of the noodle and roll into a tight roll. Place the roll on top of the sauce in the 9”x13” baking dish.

Repeat with all 12 lasagna rolls then cover rolls with remaining half of the sauce.

Top sauce with remaining ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes covered in foil then remove from foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and slightly browned.

Directions for the sauce:

Heat large saucepan on medium-high heat.

Add butter and garlic and stir around for 30 seconds or until butter melts.

Add mushrooms to garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle thyme over mushrooms and stir for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add flour over mushroom mixture and stir briefly then add vegetable broth and cream then stir until well combined.

Bring to a boil then decrease heat to low and simmer uncovered for five minutes or until sauce thickens.

Pour half the sauce in a 9”x13” baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray.

Place the bread cubes and blueberries into a lightly greased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Beat the eggs, half-and-half and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Stir and press the bread cubes into the egg mixture to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Serve with the butter and syrup.

Teaching Kids How to Set the Table

Teaching Kids How to Set the Table

My mom taught me how to set the table when I was young, and now as an adult, I still like to make sure the silverware is on the right side of the plate! Family mealtime is so important, and I believe the more nights per week when we can sit down and eat a meal together, the better.

September is National Family Meal Month, so before getting to the delicious food and excellent conversation, teach the kids how to set the table properly with a printable color-by-letter placemat.

While mom or dad are cooking dinner, the kids can color the table setting placemat, and get familiar with the location of all the dishes. When it’s time to set the table, the kids can use the placemat as a guide for where to place everything! To reuse over and over again, I’d recommend expanding the printable to a proper placemat size of 12”x18” and laminating it.

The kids will be occupied with coloring while dinner is being made, and the table will be set by the time dinner is ready to eat…a win-win for everyone!

Turkey & Brie Puff Pastry Pockets

Turkey & Brie Puff Pastry Pockets

Lately I have been trying to keep our meals during the week quick and simple for my family. This simple pop tart recipe is easy to make and fun to involve kids too.
I always keep a box or two of frozen puff pastry in my freezer for last minute meal ideas like this pop tart recipe. This is also a great appetizer idea when last minute guests come to visit or you need to go to a party and bring something tasty with you.

I love working with Kroger and Fred Meyer and coming up with family friendly recipes like this one, using cooked frozen turkey and all the other ingredients that can be found in their stores. Thank you for sponsoring this post. The first thing that came to mind when I thought of making something different using turkey were puff pastry pockets, savory ones to be exact. This is so easy and fool proof to make, that I bet your kids will have fun making them with you too. I also thought this would be perfect for leftovers for any meat or veggies as a substitute, especially during the holidays when turkey is abundant.

I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it. Get creative with your fillings if the ones I’m using are not your favorite, but I promise you will love this combination. They are great on their own for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Add more mustard or any other favorite sauce to them to add a bit more spice if you prefer it like me. Served with a side salad or soup.

Take your frozen puff pastry out of the package and let it thaw out on a cutting board with a dusting of flour. Also thaw out your turkey.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Dust the surface you are working on with a bit of flour and open up the pastry once it’s thawed out so it creates three parts (which will be created with the folds in the dough). Roll it our with a rolling pin a bit on each side to make the dough area larger.

Cut the dough in thirds on the lines that were created by the folds, and then cut in half again across so you now have 6 rectangles.

Chop your turkey into small pieces, then chop the chives and slice the brie into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Using a small spoon, spread the grey poupon mustard on the bottom rectangles, leaving about 1/2 inch around each rectangle so there is space to close the pop tart.

Add a thin layer of the chopped chives, then a layer of chopped turkey and a slice or two of cheese, depending on the slices of cheese you make.

Separate your egg into two small bowls, one for egg yolk and one for egg whites, add a tiny bit of water and whisk with a fork in both.

Using your finger add the egg white and water mixture to the edges around each pop tart.

Roll out the top three rectangle pieces to make them a bit larger than the bottom, place them on top of the filled bottom pieces and with your fingers press all the way around to seal them, using a fork seal the edges a bit more, see pictured.

Use a pastry brush and brush on the egg yolk on top of each pop tart.

Repeat for the other sheet of pastry to make 6 pop tarts altogether.

Place these on your baking sheet with parchment paper, unless your baking sheets are non-stick like mine.

Bake for 15 minutes in the middle rack. Place on a cooling rack and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until ready to eat.

Walking Taco Pizza

Walking Taco Pizza

Turn that usual family pizza night into a tasty fiesta with this easy to make Walking Taco Pizza.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 packet (1.5 oz.) Kroger Taco Seasoning Mild

1 can (10 oz.) Kroger Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles

1 can (15.5 oz.) Kroger Pinto Beans, drained & rinsed

1 (12 oz.) Kroger Original Pizza Crust

1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese

1 cup Kroger Corn Chips, coarsely crushed

Directions:

1. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the ground beef and brown for 6-8 minutes. Add in the taco seasoning packet, diced tomatoes and green chiles, and pinto beans. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes.

While the beef/bean mixture is simmering, preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly brush the pizza crust with olive oil and place on a baking pan.

Evenly top the crust with the beef/bean mixture. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.